https://sdahymnal.net/sda-hymnal-512-just-when-i-need-him-most/
1. Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.
Just when I need Him most,
Just when I need Him most,
Jesus is near to comfort and cheer,
Just when I need Him most.
When this song was sung in church, my father would say that he didn't like the words to it. He said that the theology was faulty. He said that Jesus is near all the time, not just when I think, that I need him. Recently my oldest son told me that I should listen to another song. It isn't the type of music that I normally like to listen to. The title is, "Need a favor", by a group called Jelly Roll. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1nRboaLTzU The first line is, "I only talk to God when I need a favor," The singer goes on to recount how he is more frequently drunk than in church. The video associated with the video shows a father in a hospital praying for his child who is very sick, and the father is asking God for a favor. He knows that he doesn't deserve the favor, but it is his child, and he is willing to do anything if only God will spare his kid. How many times in our lives do we only come to God when we need a favor? Is the God of the universe like some big Santa Claus in the sky granting requests to good little girls and boys? If you had an earthly friend or child that only called you when they needed money or some other favor, what would you think about that friend, or kid?
Daniel chapter 6 describes Daniel's prayer life. Most of us have heard some version of Daniel in the den of lions, but let's read it now. Let's begin in Daniel 6:4 "Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. https://my.bible.com/bible/1/DAN.6.KJV
There are several points that I would like to make here. The first one is found in verse 4, people who are jealous of the favor that God bestows on others will seek to find something against them to bring them down to their level. May we be the kind of people, like Daniel, that no one can find any fault with us. Even if the laws of the land contradict God's laws, we must be faithful to God's laws. The way that Daniel was able to do this is found in verse 10, Daniel prayed three times a day, regardless of the laws of the land, just as he had ALWAYS done.
There is a verse in the Bible that has always scared me. I think that it is one of the saddest and scariest verses in all the Bible. That verse can be found in the seventh chapter of the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 7, the verse is actually verse 23 but I am going to start in verse 21 for some context. "21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.7.KJV How do we have a knowing relationship with the God of the universe? We pray and we prayerfully study His Word. Never open the Word of God without praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just like in every other type of relationship, communication is key. If we do not have this, we have nothing; and that is my second point, good communication with our creator is to be of the utmost importance in our daily lives. It was the communication that Daniel and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, had with God that saved them in the temptation to eat from the king's table, that saved them from the fiery furnace and that saved them from the den of the lions. In the end times, in which we are living in today, honest, daily communion with the God of heaven will be our only refuge. Psalm 119 says in verse 11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PSA.119.KJV The only way to do that is with daily studying of the Bible, with prayer. God has many precious promises in His word, but we can't claim them if we don't know them; and the only way to know them is to memorize them. One day we might not have access to our apps or the internet, so we need a physical copy of God's Holy Word and we need to spend time reading it every morning. If we wait till the end of the day, satan will make sure that we are too tired or too busy to do so. Wake up, get your Bible, and pray, before you start getting ready for whatever you have to do in the day, EVEN if you have to wake up a little bit earlier to do so. If we make this our habit, then our spiritual life will be stronger and we will be able to see God's hand in our lives. Here is one such precious promise: Psalm 34:15 "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, And his ears are open unto their cry." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PSA.34.KJV Yes, God can and sometimes does answer the prayers of those who don't normally walk with Him, but the Bible clearly states that those that are righteous, God promises to hear their cries. God's answers aren't always a yes or a no, but sometimes it is a "wait". And the answers aren't always what we THINK that we want or need, but the answers will always be what is for our BEST interest.
Another point that was brought out in Daniel 6, was brought out in verse 10. Daniel knows that he is probably going to face a den of hungry lions, yet the record states that Daniel KNEELED, prayed and GAVE THANKS. Often times in this busy world we don't even take the time to pray, much less kneel, and then our prayers consist of our wish list. Often like the nine lepers of Luke 17, we forget to give God the thanks that he deserves for the way he has protected us and provided for us in our lives. Luke 17:12 "And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.17.KJV God deserves our thanks even for the very breath that we take, for today was not promised to anyone.
My last point is simply this, others see our example. Our lives may be the only "Sermon" that some people will ever hear. It isn't about being "religious ". The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the most religious people in their day, or so they thought, but the Bible calls them a generation of vipers. Matthew 3:7 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" https://my.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.3.KJV The Bible says in the book of James chapter 1 verse 27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/JAS.1.KJV King Nebuchadnezzar and the princes knew that Daniel served God continually. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, if they are in the kingdom of God, will probably only be there because of the faithfulness of Daniel and his three friends, showing them the right God and the right way to serve him. There is only one thing that we can bring into heaven with us, and that is our characters. Is our character one that will lead others to Christ or away from Him? There are only two choices in this life: serve God and go to live forever in heaven with Him or serve the devil and end up with him in the lake of fire. Our choices today, the way we live our lives every day, are what is going to determine our destiny. If we don't have a relationship with our Creator now while we are still living, we will never be a part of His eternal Kingdom. The last part of Revelation 2:10 says, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.2.KJV Won't you make your choice to serve the living God today?
